Editing Fredericksburg, Virginia (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park Fredericksburg-map-01(1).jpg|thumb|Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park]]

The [[independent city]] of Fredericksburg was named in 1728 for [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]], the eldest son of [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]]. The designation coincided with the Virginia General Assembly’s effort to establish a formal trading center at the fall line of the [[Rappahannock River]] a transitional zone where the river ceased to be navigable for larger vessels. Prior to English colonization, the area was inhabited by Algonquian-speaking tribes affiliated with the Powhatan Confederacy and later became a frontier for inland expansion from the Tidewater region.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/|title=Fredericksburg, VA – Official Website |website=fredericksburgva.gov}}</ref><ref name=swanton>{{citation| last=Swanton| first=John R.| title=The Indian Tribes of North America| publisher=Smithsonian Institution| year=1952| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtHI5pkJOGMC| isbn=0-8063-1730-2| pages=61–62| oclc= 52230544}}</ref> The selection of the site reflected practical logistics. Positioned at the head of navigation, Fredericksburg developed into a [[port town]] for exporting [[tobacco]] and receiving manufactured goods. Its function was tied to the movement of agricultural products rather than urban planning or centralized governance. The presence of large landholdings nearby, such as [[Ferry Farm, Virginia|Ferry Farm]] purchased in 1738 by [[Augustine Washington]] aligned with the town’s role as a local hub.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kenmore.org/genealogy/washington/augustine.html |title=Augustine Washington |publisher=The George Washington Foundation |website=kenmore.org |access-date=April 18, 2017 |quote=In 1738, a 150-acre property just across the Rappahannock River from the fledgling town of Fredericksburg ... was sold ... to Augustine who moved the family there |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410072157/http://www.kenmore.org/genealogy/washington/augustine.html |archive-date=April 10, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial period]], the town played a vital role in Virginia’s economy and political life. It was home to many prominent families, including the Washingtons at [[George Washington]]'s boyhood home, [[Ferry Farm|Ferry Farm Historic Site]] which lies just across the river from the city of Fredericksburg.<ref>''George Washington: A Life'' by Willard Stearne Randall (1997).  New York:  Henry Holt and Company, Inc. page 440.  {{ISBN|0-8050-5992-X}}</ref> Fredericksburg was incorporated as a town in 1781 and became an [[independent city]] in 1879, a legal status retained under Virginia’s city-county separation framework. The city witnessed significant destruction during the [[American Civil War]], particularly during the [[Battle of Fredericksburg]] in 1862, which caused long-term disruption to its infrastructure and population.<ref>[https://lsupress.org/books/detail/john-washington-s-civil-war/ ''John Washington's Civil War'', ed. Crandall Shifflett, Louisiana State University Press, 2008]</ref> 

[[File:Fredericksburg Area Map.png|thumb|Map of Fredericksburg City, Spotsylvania County , and Stafford County Virginia]]Despite being an [[independent city]] , the broader “Fredericksburg area" commonly includes nearby communities such [[Falmouth, Virginia|Falmouth]] , [[Southern Gateway, Virginia|Southern Gateway]] , [[Brookfield, Virginia|Brookefield]] , [[Leavells, Virginia|Leavells]], [[Chancellor, Virginia|Chancellor]], and [[Massaponax, Virginia|Massaponax]] which lie outside of the city of Fredericksburg’s official boundaries in both unincorporated [[Spotsylvania County, Virginia|Spotsylvania]] and [[Stafford County, Virginia|Stafford]] counties. These areas use Fredericksburg mailing addresses and share Fredericksburg [[ZIP Code|ZIP codes]] like 22405 , 22406, 22407 , and 22408, despite being governed separately. This shared address also comes with development and transportation networks that are integrated with the city of Fredericksburg. The proximity to key transit routes like [[Interstate 95]], [[U.S. Route 1|US Route 1]],  [[U.S. Route 17|US Route 17]], and [[Virginia State Route 3|VA Route 3]]  highlights the regions importance in terms of its location since its origins <ref>{{Cite news |first=Karen |last=Owen |title=Are we Northern Virginia? |url=http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/052008/05112008/376458 |work=[[The Free Lance–Star]] |date=May 11, 2008 |access-date=October 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527042144/http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/052008/05112008/376458 |archive-date=May 27, 2012  }}</ref>